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Cowboy Monkey Rodeo rides again on City Island tonight as Harrisburg Senators return home

Cowboy Monkey Rodeo returns to Metro Bank Park

Cowboy Monkey Rodeo returns to Metro Bank Park tonight for the second time during the 2014 Harrisburg Senators' season. Why has the attraction grown so popular on City Island? 'There’s magic to monkeys mounting up on dogs chasing some goats,' said Sens' assistant general manager Aaron Margolis.
(Sean Simmers | ssimmers@pennlive.com)

Promotions: The ever-popular Cowboy Monkey Rodeo makes its second appearance of the season on City Island. For the uneducated, that means monkeys riding dogs herding goats on the field (more below). Also, as part of Thirsty Thursday, $2 beers will be available on the boardwalk.

Notebook

* Why do the fans of Harrisburg love Cowboy Monkey Rodeo so much? Here's Sens assistant general manager Aaron Margolis' take: "I'm a big believer in trying to create something people can't see or experience somewhere else. That makes a difference, and in the case of the Cowboy Monkeys, there is nothing else like that. We see people who have been to every single Cowboy Monkeys show we've had. If you saw that game, had a great time and then said [to a friend], 'You've got to come with me next time. You've got to see that.' That's what's happening. Our fans have embraced that and want to share it with everybody. We're thrilled how it's gone over here. There's magic to monkeys mounting up on dogs chasing some goats."

* Beginning with tonight's contest against New Hampshire, Harrisburg has 20 home games left at Metro Bank Park. The Sens are 25-26 on City Island this season. The most home wins by a Harrisburg team the past 10 years were 41 in 2006. Last year's team won 37. Conversely, the Sens are just 17-35 on the road in 2014, the fewest wins away from home in the Eastern League. Harrisburg's worst road win total the past 10 seasons was 24 in 2007. Brian Daubach's current club has 18 road games remaining, including a season-ending eight-game trek to New Hampshire (Aug. 25-28) and Portland (Aug. 29-Sept. 1).

* Bowie third baseman Garabez Rosa must be crushed the Baysox-Sens season series ended. Rosa drove in a run in Wednesday's final meeting between the two teams, giving him 24 RBI in the 20 head-to-head match-ups in 2014. That's quite a sum, especially considering he has 51 total RBIs all season. Wonder what he'll finish with now that Bowie and Harrisburg don't play again?

Coverage: Geoff Morrow returns to the press box after two days off and has all things Senators covered. Follow him on Twitter (@RageAgainstGMo) for updates. Also give Sens broadcaster Terry Byrom a follow as well (@HbgSensRadio). Listen to the broadcast – starting with Perry Mattern (@PMattern7) and the pregame show – beginning at 6:45 p.m. The game can be heard live on 1460-AM and online here.

Altoona 8, New Britain 5: Gift Ngoepe, Keon Broxton and Carlos Paulino all smacked home runs as part of a 17-hit barrage that carried the Curve (41-64) past the Rock Cats (50-52) in Connecticut.

Erie 6, Reading 1: Steven Moya belted his league-leading 25th home run of the season in the bottom of the third and the SeaWolves (50-54) never looked back in a victory over the Fightin Phillies (42-59).

Trenton 5, New Hampshire 2: Tyler Austin's two-run double highlighted a three-run first inning for the Thunder (49-56), who went on beat the Fisher Cats (48-56) for a road victory in Manchester.

Binghamton 4, Portland 2: Rylan Sandoval walloped his first homer of the season, helping the B-Mets (61-42) beat the Sea Dogs (66-38) to snap a seven-game losing streak at Hadlock Field and pull within 4.5 games of the Eastern Division leaders.